Pranab won't vote to remain 'politically neutral'

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday decided against casting his vote in the Lok Sabha elections in order to express his “neutrality in the political fray.”

The President had completed all the formalities for voting through postal ballot. Had he voted, Mukherjee could have become the first head of state to have voted through a postal vote.

“The President in order to express his neutrality in the political fray has decided not to cast his ballot," President's Press Secretary Venu Rajamony said in New Delhi.

Mukherjee, had asked for a postal ballot to caste his vote for South Kolkata Lok Sabha seat which goes to polls on May 12.

He is a registered voter in 160 Rashbehari, part of South Kolkata parliamentary seat. The decision was taken for maintaining the tradition asmost of his predecessors had done the same, Rajamony said. But former president APJ Abdul Kalam was an exception.